Having played a number of away games, Winterton were looking forward to playing at home on a good Dave Hambrook wicket, but chose to turn in their worst performance of the season against their nearest rivals Ketteringham Hall at the top of Norfolk League Division Two.

Having played a number of away games, Winterton were looking forward to playing at home on a good Dave Hambrook wicket, but chose to turn in their worst performance of the season against their nearest rivals Ketteringham Hall at the top of Norfolk League Division Two.

They lost by eight wickets in a match of only 137 runs, but stay top with Hall hot on their heels.

Hall won the toss and put Winterton into bat. The Hall bowlers found bounce and movement, but with a little application Winterton should have been able to post a challenging total.

But a hapless display of batting and running (three run-outs) handed victory to their rivals.

After 20 overs, Winterton were 26 for five. The middle and lower order needed to produce substantial scores to give Winterton some hope in the game.

James Stanhope Smith made his debut in very difficult circumstances and battled hard to keep his wicket intact, but was undone by a ball cutting back into him.

Ben Utting (15) and Kevin Percival (11) were the only players to reach double figures and added 20 runs for the sixth wicket. But both were out when looking as if they might be able to take the score to at least over the 100 mark.

Although the tail wagged slightly, Winterton subsided to 68 all out.

The bowlers faced an impossible task and Smith and Sprong began the innings at a quick scoring rate. After five overs, they had almost reached half of their target when a sharp,

one-handed catch by Tom Roper off Richard Larner accounted for Sprong for 19.

Charles Lockhart also came into the attack and bowled a fiery spell, conceding only seven runs in six very quick overs, taking the wicket of M Smith who was bowled off his body.

However R Smith (27 not out) kept up the momentum and Hall reached their target in the 15th over.

A depleted Winterton A travelled to Suffolk to play the promotion chasing Bungay A in Division Six.

Like the first team, they found runs at a premium and suffered defeat.

The home side were asked to bat on what seemed quite a placid but damp track. Opening duo experienced campaigner Mark Hambrook and inexperienced Adam Spelman kept things fairly tight till opener Fuller chipped Hambrook to Brey at square leg, who held on at the second attempt.

The emerging Holsworth had Macphillie taken behind by the under-rated stand-in keeper Playford.

With Porter (22) and Fuller (24) beginning the grow in confidence, pace was taken off the ball with the introduction off Simon Tooley and Keith Drewitt.

Tooley bowled Fuller to claim his first league wicket for the club, and Drewitt bowled Porter for his first wicket for over five years.

The home side progressed to 174 before Stanhope-Smith finally got a break, Hambrook pouching Mowday for 55.

Five more wickets then fell for only 12 runs as Hambrook and Stanhope-Smith demolished the tail, with Hambrook returning figures of

4-33 and Stanhope-Smith 2-39.

Winterton dropped nine catches in a lacklustre fielding performance, coming after the Lord Mayor's show of beating Melton the previous Saturday.

The visitors' reply began cautiously after a heavy shower during the interval. Simon Tooley began showing some flashes of his form of years gone by.

Only Tooley (15) and Stanhope-Smith (13) reached double figures as the visitors slumped to 79 all out - missing a second batting point by one run.

The previous week Winterton A entert-

ained Great Melton B at a sunny

Hambrook Oval.

Melton elected to bat on what looked like a superb 200-plus wicket but were bowled out for 165 in 40 overs with Bunn top scoring with 38.

Andy Thackray was superb with the ball taking 4-20. Mark Hambrook took t2-20, John Stanhope-Smith 2-41.

Fred Playford was encouraging with his 2-45 and Holsworth was unlucky to be wicketless. Good catches were taken by Tooley, Lawes, Holsworth and Crawley.

In reply, Crawley and Tooley gave the home side a great start, adding 70 in 16 overs before Tooley (22) was bowled by Bunn.

Drewitt and Crawley moved the score on to 114 before Crawley ran Drewitt out for 21.

Lawes and Crawley saw Winterton home with Lawes 21 not out and Crawley 67 not out. Melton's only wicket was taken by the leg spinner Bunn.

Winterton won by eight wickets. This was a fantastic performance to beat the team who were unbeaten and top of the table.

Three wins on the trot had turned the season around.

Fisherman's Return man-of-the-match: Andy Thackray whose contribution with ball was fantastic.